Book Review: The Covenat Hymnal and Hymns of Scandinavian Heritage

Kälvemark has done an exhaustive and competent work within the
scope of her project. A twelve-page summary in English greatly increases
its value for use outside of Sweden. WESLEY M . WESTERBERG.
THE COVENANT HYMNAL. Chicago: The Covenant Press, 1973, and
HYMNS OF SCANDINAVIAN HERITAGE [pamphlet collection of 29
hymns]. Chicago: Covenant Press, 1973.
Next to the Bible, there is no book that touches the spiritual life of
the average church member more profoundly than the hymnbook he em­ploys
in the worship of God. The publication of a new hymnal by a Chris­tian
denomination, therefore, is an event of considerable importance, as
the Evangelical Covenant Church is now learning. Interest in the new
C o v e n a n t H y m n a l , however, is not confined to the members of that church
body alone. Nowhere is the spirit of ecumenicity manifested more striking­ly
than in our Christian hymnbooks. In these we discover the outpourings
of prayer and praise by the people of God of every spiritual persuasion
throughout the Christian world. Here, as well as in the Bible, we find our
bond of union in Christ as Saviour. That is why it is such a joyous ex­perience
to welcome a new book of worship like the 1973 C o v e n a n t Hymnal.
An exploration of this inspiring book will reveal not only scholarly
achievement, but one that is truly ecumenical in character. The choice of
hymns is excellent, and the music is of a high order. Most important of
all, the new book of worship gives abundant evidence that the Covenant
Church, which had its origin in the pietistic movement that swept Sweden
during the latter half of the last century, has not lost any. of its early
spiritual zeal and fervor. As we turn the pages of the new hymnal, we
discover every little while one of the lovely lyrics of Lina Sandell, like
"Children of the Heavenly Father," or one of the sweet tunes of Oskar
Ahnfelt will suddenly fall on the ear, and we find ourselves transported
to the Land of the Midnight Sun.
However, a still greater surprise is in store for us. When we come to
Hymn No. 19, we discover an English translation of what may eventually
become known as the most famous Swedish hymn ever written, namely
Carl Boberg's "O Store Gud." Incidentally, the new Covenant Hymnal
contains two additional lyrics written by Boberg and set to Swedish folk­song
tunes. Neither of these, however, gives promise of attaining the
world-wide acclaim achieved by "O Store Gud." The nine stanzas of this
now famous hymn, as they originally appeared on March 3, 1886, in
Mönsteråstidningen in Sweden, owe their English form in the Covenant
Hymnal to E. Gustaf Johnson, former professor at North Park College.
The two world wars which have engulfed the earth since the turn of
the century might be expected to leave their mark on our church hymn¬
ody, and this is confirmed by the number of new hymns in the collection
which almost sternly summon mankind, and most certainly the Church,
to strive for peace and brotherhood. Typical of these hymns is William P.
Merrill's lyric, "Not Alone for Mighty Empire," in which these stanzas
occur:
159
Not for battleship and fortress.
Not for conquests of the sword,
But for conquests of the spirit
Give we thanks to Thee, O Lord;
For the priceless gift of freedom,
For the home, the church, the school,
For the open door to manhood
In a land the people rule.
For the armies of the faithful,
Souls that passed and left no name,
For the glory that illumines
Patriot lives of deathless fame;
For our prophets and apostles,
Loyal to the living Word,
For all heroes of the spirit,
Give we thanks to Thee, O Lord.
Similar in character in the new hymnal are such hymns as "Rise Up,
O Men of God," "O Brother Man, Fold to Thy Heart Thy Brother," "O
God of Every Nation," "Son of God, Eternal Saviour," "Thou Judge by
Whom Each Empire Fell," "O Spirit of the Living God," "God of the
Prophets," and finally "Heralds of Christ, Who Bear the King's Commands,"
in which this stirring stanza occurs:
Lord, give us faith and strength the road to build,
To see the promise of the day fulfilled,
When war shall be no more and strife shall cease
Upon the highway of the Prince of Peace.
Finally let it be said that the commission which created the new C o v ­e
n a n t Hymnal deserves commendation not only for its discernment in
the selection of hymns and other worship material, but also for making
available classic gems from sacred cantatas such as "Christ, We Do A l l
Adore Thee," from Dubois' "The Seven Last Words," "Cast Thy Burden
upon the Lord" from Mendelssohn's "Elijah," and the "Sevenfold Amen"
from Stainer's "Crucifixion.' E. E. RYDEN.
James Robert Enterline, VIKING AMERICA. THE NORSE CROSSINGS
AND THEIR LEGACY. With an epilogue by Thor Heyerdahl. Garden
City: Doubleday and Co., 1972. 217 pp. $6.95.
The author's training was in mathematics and physics, and it was the
publication of the Vinland Map that enticed him from the precisions of
science to the speculations of archaeologic history. He claims few . ab­solutes,
but he argues vigorously for several hypotheses. He is convinced
that the v i n in Vinland means pasture or meadow rather than wine. He
180

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Kälvemark has done an exhaustive and competent work within the
scope of her project. A twelve-page summary in English greatly increases
its value for use outside of Sweden. WESLEY M . WESTERBERG.
THE COVENANT HYMNAL. Chicago: The Covenant Press, 1973, and
HYMNS OF SCANDINAVIAN HERITAGE [pamphlet collection of 29
hymns]. Chicago: Covenant Press, 1973.
Next to the Bible, there is no book that touches the spiritual life of
the average church member more profoundly than the hymnbook he em­ploys
in the worship of God. The publication of a new hymnal by a Chris­tian
denomination, therefore, is an event of considerable importance, as
the Evangelical Covenant Church is now learning. Interest in the new
C o v e n a n t H y m n a l , however, is not confined to the members of that church
body alone. Nowhere is the spirit of ecumenicity manifested more striking­ly
than in our Christian hymnbooks. In these we discover the outpourings
of prayer and praise by the people of God of every spiritual persuasion
throughout the Christian world. Here, as well as in the Bible, we find our
bond of union in Christ as Saviour. That is why it is such a joyous ex­perience
to welcome a new book of worship like the 1973 C o v e n a n t Hymnal.
An exploration of this inspiring book will reveal not only scholarly
achievement, but one that is truly ecumenical in character. The choice of
hymns is excellent, and the music is of a high order. Most important of
all, the new book of worship gives abundant evidence that the Covenant
Church, which had its origin in the pietistic movement that swept Sweden
during the latter half of the last century, has not lost any. of its early
spiritual zeal and fervor. As we turn the pages of the new hymnal, we
discover every little while one of the lovely lyrics of Lina Sandell, like
"Children of the Heavenly Father," or one of the sweet tunes of Oskar
Ahnfelt will suddenly fall on the ear, and we find ourselves transported
to the Land of the Midnight Sun.
However, a still greater surprise is in store for us. When we come to
Hymn No. 19, we discover an English translation of what may eventually
become known as the most famous Swedish hymn ever written, namely
Carl Boberg's "O Store Gud." Incidentally, the new Covenant Hymnal
contains two additional lyrics written by Boberg and set to Swedish folk­song
tunes. Neither of these, however, gives promise of attaining the
world-wide acclaim achieved by "O Store Gud." The nine stanzas of this
now famous hymn, as they originally appeared on March 3, 1886, in
Mönsteråstidningen in Sweden, owe their English form in the Covenant
Hymnal to E. Gustaf Johnson, former professor at North Park College.
The two world wars which have engulfed the earth since the turn of
the century might be expected to leave their mark on our church hymn¬
ody, and this is confirmed by the number of new hymns in the collection
which almost sternly summon mankind, and most certainly the Church,
to strive for peace and brotherhood. Typical of these hymns is William P.
Merrill's lyric, "Not Alone for Mighty Empire," in which these stanzas
occur:
159
Not for battleship and fortress.
Not for conquests of the sword,
But for conquests of the spirit
Give we thanks to Thee, O Lord;
For the priceless gift of freedom,
For the home, the church, the school,
For the open door to manhood
In a land the people rule.
For the armies of the faithful,
Souls that passed and left no name,
For the glory that illumines
Patriot lives of deathless fame;
For our prophets and apostles,
Loyal to the living Word,
For all heroes of the spirit,
Give we thanks to Thee, O Lord.
Similar in character in the new hymnal are such hymns as "Rise Up,
O Men of God," "O Brother Man, Fold to Thy Heart Thy Brother," "O
God of Every Nation," "Son of God, Eternal Saviour," "Thou Judge by
Whom Each Empire Fell," "O Spirit of the Living God," "God of the
Prophets," and finally "Heralds of Christ, Who Bear the King's Commands,"
in which this stirring stanza occurs:
Lord, give us faith and strength the road to build,
To see the promise of the day fulfilled,
When war shall be no more and strife shall cease
Upon the highway of the Prince of Peace.
Finally let it be said that the commission which created the new C o v ­e
n a n t Hymnal deserves commendation not only for its discernment in
the selection of hymns and other worship material, but also for making
available classic gems from sacred cantatas such as "Christ, We Do A l l
Adore Thee," from Dubois' "The Seven Last Words," "Cast Thy Burden
upon the Lord" from Mendelssohn's "Elijah," and the "Sevenfold Amen"
from Stainer's "Crucifixion.' E. E. RYDEN.
James Robert Enterline, VIKING AMERICA. THE NORSE CROSSINGS
AND THEIR LEGACY. With an epilogue by Thor Heyerdahl. Garden
City: Doubleday and Co., 1972. 217 pp. $6.95.
The author's training was in mathematics and physics, and it was the
publication of the Vinland Map that enticed him from the precisions of
science to the speculations of archaeologic history. He claims few . ab­solutes,
but he argues vigorously for several hypotheses. He is convinced
that the v i n in Vinland means pasture or meadow rather than wine. He
180